Leafs Tank Tracker: Riding the Losing Streak into Sunday's Tank

Welcome back to the Tank Tracker. If you are going to tank, you have to commit to it, and the boys in blue are doing exactly that. Riding a glorious 7-game losing streak, the Maple Leafs are anchored right at 65 points.

The Leafs have yet to win a game since the Olympic Break and once again the Maple Leafs were outmatched and looked disinterested for long stretches of the game. A bad place for a franchise to be, but a very good place if you’re hoping to acquire Gavin McKenna or Keaton Verhoeff at the upcoming draft. 

The Saturday night slate is officially in the books, and if you were scoreboard watching, it was a night of mixed emotions, some brilliant clutch performances for the tank, alongside a few frustrating missed opportunities from teams trailing us.

The most important takeaway: the Maple Leafs took care of their own business and remain anchored at 65 points, an area it will be crucial to remain for the remainder of the sason. Let's dive into yesterday's shifts.

Yesterday’s Recap

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Toronto Maple Leafs

• Result: Lightning win 5-2

• Tank Impact: Flawless. The boys in blue understood the assignment. Taking a regulation loss against a team in a playoff spot, and it ensures we secure zero points and stay parked exactly where we need to be.

New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils

• Result: Devils win 6-3

• Tank Impact: Nearly Perfect. The Devils took care of business against the basement-dwelling Rangers (56 points). The win pushes New Jersey to 66 points, giving them a one-point buffer ahead of the Leafs, the only better situation would have been if this game went to overtime.

Vancouver Canucks @ Winnipeg Jets

• Result: Jets win 3-2 OT

• Tank Impact: Excellent. The Jets secured a crucial win to hit 62 points, pulling them closer to the Leafs, and now place them within a position where they could conceivably catch Toronto.  

Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins

• Result: Flyers win 4-3 (Shootout)

• Tank Impact: Perfect. The Flyers grabbed a massive win to hit 69 points. They are raising the ceiling and building a comfortable four-point gap ahead of the Leafs.

New York Islanders @ San Jose Sharks

• Result: Islanders win 2-1 OT

• Tank Impact: Silver Lining. The Sharks couldn't close it out, but pushing the game to overtime secured them a highly valuable loser point. They now sit at 66 points, one point clear of Toronto.

Ottawa Senators @ Seattle Kraken

• Result: Senators win 7-4

• Tank Impact: Mixed Bag. Ottawa grabbed two points to hit 71, perfectly hitting the ceiling of our danger zone. However, we really wanted Seattle (67 points) to pick up points here to build their own buffer ahead of us.

Nashville Predators @ Buffalo Sabres

• Result: Sabres win 3-2

• Tank Impact: Missed Opportunity. Nashville (64 points) is breathing right down our necks. A win here would have leapfrogged them over the Leafs, but they dropped it in regulation. Silver lining, they still hold one game in hand to help them try and move ahead of the Leafs. 

Montreal Canadiens @ Los Angeles Kings

• Result: Canadiens win 4-3

• Tank Impact: Brutal. Just like Nashville, the Kings are sitting at 64 points and completely missed their chance to pass us in the overall standings. The Kings however still hold 2 games in hand and now have even more vested interest from the Leafs. The Leafs hope the Kings find their game and make the playoffs, as the 3rd round pick in the Scott Laughton deal, will then upgrade to a 2nd. 

Washington Capitals @ Boston Bruins

• Result: Bruins win 3-1

• Tank Impact: Frustrating. Washington sits at 69 points. We desperately need them to keep winning to permanently raise the bar ahead of teams ahead of the Leafs. 

Tonight’s Tank Guide

We have a couple of massive games tonight featuring teams right in the thick of our danger zone. Here is your official Sunday Tank guide:

Detroit Red Wings (77P) @ New Jersey Devils (66P)

• Ideal Result: Devils win

• Tank Impact: Critical. The Devils are sitting at 66 points, just a single point ahead of the Leafs. A regulation win against the Red Wings pushes them to 68 points, creating a much-needed three-point buffer between them and Toronto. 

Edmonton Oilers (68P) @ Vegas Golden Knights (72P)

• Ideal Result: Oilers win.

• Tank Impact: High. The Oilers (68P) are hovering in the upper half of our danger zone. Securing two points against Vegas pushes Edmonton to 70 points, moving them comfortably clear of the Leafs and the pack. 

St. Louis Blues (57P) @ Anaheim Ducks (73P)

• Ideal Result: Blues win 

• Tank Impact: Bottom-Feeder Push. The Blues are currently sitting at 57 points, but have won three games in a row. A win tonight pushes them to 59 points, officially entering the conversation of teams that could potentially catch the Leafs.

Games With No Direct Tank Impact

These matchups do not feature teams sitting within 6 points of the Leafs, so you can safely ignore them tonight:

• Minnesota Wild (84P) @ Colorado Avalanche (93P) 

• Boston Bruins (75P) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (76P) 

• Chicago Blackhawks (56P) @ Dallas Stars (86P) 

• Tampa Bay Lightning (82P) @ Buffalo Sabres (82P)